Clippers at Wizards
A road trip that began with promise for the Los Angeles Clippers has skidded off the tracks. The Clippers look to rediscover their winning ways as they visit the Washington Wizards on Monday night. Still without injured point guard Chris Paul, the Clippers fell behind early and had a late rally fall short in a narrow loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon. It was their second straight loss following a trek-opening win over Milwaukee. The Wizards have dropped four consecutive games.
The teams' point guard situations are headed in different directions as they meet for the second time in 16 days. Paul has missed 10 of the past 12 games with a lingering knee injury, and the Clippers - who began the season as one of the top teams in the league - are just 5-5 in his absence. Washington is struggling, but having point guard John Wall back in the starting lineup has provided fans with at least a glimmer of optimism. Wall is coming off a 21-point, nine-assist effort in Saturday's loss to San Antonio.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), Comcast SportsNet Maryland (Washington)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (34-15): Los Angeles won't have much time to dwell on a difficult loss to Boston, one in which the Clippers turned the ball over 21 times and trailed by as many as 19 points before storming back to make a game of it. Los Angeles forward Matt Barnes suggested life without Paul has impacted the entire lineup. ''We're just a little out of rhythm,'' he told reporters after the game. ''Guys are just playing a little out of position, but that's no excuse.'' The Clippers remain one of the best home teams in the NBA but will be looking to take advantage of their current eight-game trek to improve on a 14-10 road mark.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (11-35): Washington's second half against the Spurs was one of the team's best 24-minute stretches of the season. The problem was that it preceded a 26-point first half that continued a trend of rough starts which plagued the Wizards' 0-3 road trip. Forward Martell Webster said he and his teammates have to do a better job of hitting open shots. "John is a point guard that demands attention and when he gets two, three people to sink on him, he’ll find people open," Webster told the Washington Post. "Being able to knock down open shots is vital, that’s me included. He’s doing his job. We have to do our job."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers prevailed 94-87 in the first meeting Jan. 19 and has won eight straight in the head-to-head series.
2. The Wizards are averaging just 90 points over their last nine games.
3. Clippers G Eric Bledsoe scored 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Boston after going a combined 11-for-42 in his previous three games.
PREDICTION: Clippers 100, Wizards 95